Shackled by the slave traders who ravaged their continent, millions of Africans could do little to prevent the loss of their freedom.
But despite lashings by slave owners and the inequity of U.S. law, black Americans never relinquished their beat.
Music - from the earliest forms of gospel to the latest rhythms of the urban sound - has always been a part of the soul of African-American culture. Even when the drums of Africans were stolen or the songs of slaves were silenced, the beat never stopped.
"It's in our feet and in our hair and in the way that we walk and the way that we talk," says Thomas Silcott, who plays 'da Voice in "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk." "So the beat was taken away from us back in slavery, yet it has evolved into something greater."
"Noise/Funk" uses that beat - through tap dance, song and poetry - to share a story about the pain, turmoil and triumph of black history. The show, choreographed and starring famed tap dancer Savion Glover, opens Tuesday at Wharton Center.
"Part of African culture is dancing to the beat. It's not the music, it's the beat," says human resource management junior Ternisa Mallette, who helped found MSU dance troupe Urban Dreams. "Throughout history, we've made expressive-type dancing."
And the messages in that dance - whether it be in the style of "Noise/Funk" or Urban Dreams' hip-hop-based moves - can be powerful.
Through the moves and sounds of its performers, "Noise/Funk" takes the issue of race head on.
"Talking about race is just a taboo thing in this country," Silcott said. "And it's not just between blacks and whites. We have a lot of different cultures in this country and so many criss-crossed paths between cultures.
"This show enlightens you to how beautiful anybody can be. Hopefully, that will encourage more talk about race and equality and differences."
During a time when race headlines much of the news, "Noise/Funk" can carry a heavy message. But it's an important one to get out, Mallette says.
"A lot of people don't know the struggles of different ethnic groups," she said. "People don't understand why affirmative action is necessary because they don't know that black people didn't go to school and weren't prevalent on college campuses until affirmative action came along."
Despite the power of the political messages "Noise/Funk" carries, Silcott, who narrates most of the dance performances, says the show remains upbeat.
And it's a chance for him to portray his own black history in a positive way.
"A theater is a lot like a church," Silcott said. "You should never go out in the same way you came in. You should go out with some kind of blessing. I love to tell the story to change people's way of thinking about race and about the show and about this country."
But "Noise/Funk" doesn't use simple words to change people's minds. The entire show is an expression through the beat - largely through Glover's own tapping, funk-driven feet.
"You're understanding exactly what they're feeling," said Silcott, a self-described tap-dancing novice. "You're understanding all the emotion they're putting out and you're understanding the words they're saying with their feet."
